By: Christian Valdez
Money might be coming your way through Gavin Newsom’s plan to combat the frightening rise of gas prices in California.
Governor Newsom plans to provide $11 billion to California residents according to the Office of Governor Gavin Newsome. The California Governor wants to not only support those struggling, but he also wants to work at,
“Advancing clean transportation–providing three months of free public transportation, fast-tracking electric vehicle incentives and charging stations, and new funding for local biking and walking projects.”
Time will only tell if these projects will help subvert the crisis. Newsom has also proposed that Californians should receive $400 for owning a vehicle for a max of two cars according to his office. This means that some Simpson students and staff may be walking away with up to $800 if their vehicles’ are registered to them.
Newsom is promising relief for Californians, but the plan needs to be approved by the State Legislature. Leaders of the Senate and of the Assembly have also proposed plans that will definitely be taken into consideration according to the Los Angeles Times. With this in mind, there may be some time before Californians receive relief.
What can you do in the meantime? It may not be a bad idea to consider carpooling with others in order to save money. Walking or biking to the store may be a more cost effective outlet. These are possible substitutes to consider, but they are not always feasible.
Although gas prices are at an all-time high, finding the cheapest option can be really beneficial for students and staff financially. The cost at the pump is as high as $5.99 per gallon at Chevron according to autoblog.com. The cheapest option in Redding is $5.19 at Clear Creek Market according to autoblog.com. Check out autoblog.com to find the best gas prices near you.
These times can be especially difficult for our students who are commuters. Freshman, Daniel Martin, travels back and forth from school every day. A single trip to school can be as long as thirty minutes for Martin. Martin details that he has to fill up twice a week and it costs $50 to fill up. The present predicament that our nation is in has Martin reminiscing about spending under $3 per gallon to fill up.
Martin illustrates that he is taking a “more conservative” approach to driving now, which is something we should all embrace even with help on the horizon.